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Workout Tips for Jessie James Decker and Every Mom Who Wants Her Body Back

Singer and mom of three Jessie James Decker is doing
something rare for a celeb mom. Jessie, who just had her third baby four months
ago, is being completely honest about how hard it is to get into shape
post-baby. And, she’s not mincing words about how difficult it is to squeeze in
any form of exercise when you’re a breastfeeding mom.

The country singer is known for keeping it real about
getting in shape post-baby. Three weeks after giving birth to her third, baby
Forrest, she shared a photo of her still-swollen belly on Instagram, and she just
shared a heartfelt video lamenting how hard her third baby recovery has been on
her body and what an effort it is to find time for exercise.

I sure can relate.

For me, exercise isn’t just about getting healthy and fit.
It’s mental. Simply put, exercise keeps me sane. After the birth of my first
child, I was desperate not to lose that precious hour of time that had me
feeling good. I made a pact with myself to keep up with exercise. Of course, that’s no easy for any mom, but it
is possible. Within a few months of the
birth of my second, I’d established a regular workout routine that I still
follow to this day.

First, I had to make peace with the amount of time I
realistically had each day. Two-hour yoga classes were not an option
anymore. I needed quick workouts that burned a lot of calories fast. I found a
spinning studio five minutes from my house that had me back home within an
hour.

Real change happened when I chose a consistent
time to work out each day. That meant getting up before my
kids and going to a class or the gym. Ugh, I know.

Then, I added in strength training. My bod wasn’t as tight as it used to be and
no amount of cardio is going to make that post-baby pooch go away. I signed up
for a gym near my house and alternated days of cardio and the gym. On those
days when I just couldn’t get out of the house, I’d do push-ups and squats at
home. It was something, which was better than nothing. It gave me hope that I
could get back in shape.

The real change happened for me when I chose a consistent
time to work out each day. That meant getting up before my
kids and going to a class or the gym. Ugh, I know. But, I chose an hour of exercise over an hour of sleep. If
my husband was traveling for work and I couldn’t sneak out in the morning, I’d download
a workout app and do it after the baby went to bed. It wasn’t perfect, but it
was doable.

And that’s exactly the point: Getting in shape post-baby is
doable. It won’t be quick and your body may never be exactly the way it was
prior to having kids, but it’s possible to feel hopeful, happy and healthy. So, if you’re a new mom and you’re breastfeeding, hang in there. Maybe you’ll be like me, doing push-ups on
your living room floor until you can get more time and your baby needs you a
bit less. But, you’ll get there. You created a beautiful little person. You can
do anything.

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10 Power Moves for a Better Workout

Squeezing in a workout can be really tough, particularly for moms with newborns or little kids. And when you finally do find the time to get to the gym? Taking a shower followed by a nap in the locker room sounds a whole lot more appealing. To help boost your motivation, try incorporating a few of these power moves so that you can make the most of your gym time in less time (and maybe with some time left over for that shower and nap).